As a sneak preview for my upcoming book Power Cues: The Subtle Science of Leading Groups, Persuading Others, and Maximizing Your Personal Impact, here are the seven questions I argue leaders — or anyone who wants to communicate powerfully — need to ask themselves in order to stop leaving their communications to chance and to start communicating consciously. The work that each of these questions suggests, and the research that backs them up, are the body of the book.

1. How do you show up when you walk into a room? Take control of your presence and change both your thinking and the messages you send to those around you.

2. What emotions do you convey for important meetings, conversations, and presentations? Share your focused emotions and control the emotional tenor of your tribe.

3. What unconscious messages are you receiving from others? Use your unconscious expertise to stay attuned to the hidden messages of everyone around you.

4. Do you have a leadership voice? Tune your voice to automatically lead your peers.

5. What honest signals do you send out in key work and social situations? Establish the right levels of energy and passion to win the contract, the negotiation, or the raise.

6. Is your unconscious mind holding you back or propelling you forward? Shed your unconscious mind of the blocks and impediments to success.

7. Are you telling powerful stories? Convey your message in ways that ensures that your listeners are aligned with you, down to their very brain waves.

I look forward to sharing the book with you early next year. For now, I’m very excited to share the cover art.